Gail McDaniel, internationally known watercolor artist, displays one of her paintings. McDaniel will teach classes at Heritage Christian Church beginning Sept. 14. Photo/Special.
Internationally known, award-winning watercolor artist/instructor Gail McDaniel of Griffin will offer classes to interested adults in Fayette County through Heritage Christian Church in Fayetteville.
Watercolor courses will be offered on Thursdays, beginning Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church. Classes are $165 for eight, three-hour classes.
McDaniel relocated from Franklin, Tenn. to Sun City Peachtree in Griffin in March 2015.
Throughout her career, McDaniel has taught watercolor workshops on three continents and Central America. She has served as an associate member of the Winsor and Newton Creative Artist Network of London, England.
She has trained more than 1,400 different artists from 36 different states, (including Alaska and Hawaii). Artists from the District of Columbia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Korea, have studied with McDaniel. In addition, she is a consultant to artists in other mediums on issues of composition, value, technique, subject and style.
McDaniel has taught 11 workshops at historic Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, a landmark where the late Georgia O’Keefe lived and painted. She was a long time member of the faculty of Cheekwood-Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, Nashville, Tenn.
On Dec. 15, 1982, McDaniel completed and signed her first watercolor painting. That painting, which features three Dole bananas in a bowl, hangs proudly in her studio. Since 1982, she says she has strived to become the very best teacher/facilitator she can be.
“I am both a teacher and a facilitator. I must help each student to be always learning and growing.” McDaniel said. “As a teacher, I share with each student all I know about putting watercolor paint to paper. I hold nothing back. I demonstrate every technique, shortcut, process, idea or concept I have developed or learned by doing, reading or studying with others.”
She adds, “I encourage students to develop their own style and not to be a clone of me. I help my students to bring out the best that is within them.” Her purpose, she says, is to guide them “to see who they are, what they have and what they can become. I want them to choose their own subject matter and to paint what excites them.”
Prior to moving to Georgia, she spent more than 20 years working as a professional watercolor artist and instructor in Franklin, Tenn. She received an award for “Excellence in Community Service” from the Travelers Rest Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Contact McDaniel to register or for more information, 678-603-1502. Learn more about her and her work at www.gailmcdanielart.com.
Heritage Christian Church is located at 2130 Redwine Rd. in Fayetteville, at the corner of Redwine and Bernhard Road.
